Making Space and Opening the Flow for 2010 - Part 1

I've been spending a lot of time lately getting ready for 2010 - planning, organizing, strategizing, visioning, and more. There are many transitions and transformations on the horizon for me and my business, and much to do to prepare for them, so I'm making space and opening the flow.

Here are some of the ways I'm doing this in my business that you can do too:

1. Clean Up Your Business Time

Time is your only non-renewable resource. If you've ever experienced days when you don't know where the time has gone, but you do know you haven't accomplished much, then you need to take a serious look at just what is eating up those precious minutes.

My coach's request of you is to track your time for the next two weeks. Like a food diary makes you intensely aware of what you're eating, a time log will allow you to quickly and easily identify where you're frittering time away.

Most likely culprits?...

Email and TV (yes, I know some of you are 'watching' TV while you're online, and no, that's not multi-tasking, that's just pure distraction).

Once you are aware of where your time is going, make a conscious effort to redirect it to more productive - or even more restful - activities. Turn the TV off (or TIVO/DVR whatever it is you must watch and give it your full attention later). And don't leave your email open all day long! Allot specific time to read and respond to it instead.

You'll be amazed at how just doing this simple exercise will free up the time you want for more important (and fun!) things. (Be sure to read Part 2 of this article next week where I'll share more specific and effective tips for handling email overload.)

2. Clean Up Your Business Space

Now is a great time to go through your files - computer and physical - and delete or organize them for moving forward to 2010.

I spent several hours going through my physical files recently, shredding lots of documents (I love to purge!), and setting up new files for my new Platinum clients as well as empty files for the ones yet to come.

During this process both online and off, I also found a lot of gems I'd forgotten about - pieces of content, systems and processes, tools, resources, audios, and more.

And now that I have a recent visual in my mind of what's in my files, it's literally at my fingertips as I move forward in building my business.

As for my computer, I actually went so far as to purchase a brand new laptop, and I'm being very discerning about what gets transferred over from my old PC to the new. Energetically and electonically, I can feel how much more open the flow is by doing this.

3. Clean up Your Business Circle

This one can be a bit difficult, but it's necessary to prune the people you surround yourself with from time to time. It doesn't mean you have to completely disconnect from them (unless they're just weighing you down energetically), but do make a conscious choice to spend more time in the company of those who lift you up.

Let me give you a simple example. If you're on someone's ezine list just because everyone else is or you feel like you should be, but you either a) don't read it or b) don't feel good when you do read it, just unsubscribe and allow the space for something that resonates with you to take its place.

Or maybe you're part of a mastermind group that you feel you've outgrown. Now is the time to graciously bow out. Once you do, you open the space for a new group to form around you that better supports where you are now.

How are you making space and opening the flow for the new year? I'd love to know - please leave your comments below.

(c) 2009 Alicia Forest

Aout the author:  Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create wild abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com

Comments

[Candace Davies]

This is a very thought provoking article Alicia... and so many valid points.

Thanks for sharing.

Candace

[Brigitte van Tuijl]

Hi Alicia,

Another thing you can do to make room for new opportunities is to see if you have clients that no longer fit your ideal-client-profile. If you do, you can thank them and wish them the best and then say goodbye.

And of course look at all the work you are (still) doing yourself that you really need to be delegating. And of course actually delegate everything that doesn't belong to your core business. If it doesn't bring you joy and/or helps you grow and develop your business, you should let someone else do these tasks from now on.

Thanks for your interesting and valuable articles!

all the best,

Brigitte

[Brenda]

Good morning Alicia!

I love the idea of a time journal. As I personal trainer I know how valuable a food journal can be. I'm looking forward to thr next 2 weeks to decipher where I'm losing time and not utilizing it to my highest and best use.

Great idea Alicia !!!

In health,

Brenda